Award-winning author visited Bayside and Foxboro public schools

Students at two elementary schools were excited to meet with children’s book author Helanine Becker on Friday, April 8, 2011.

Becker is an award-winning author who has written many fiction and nonfiction books. She has been nominated for the Ontario Library Association’s Silver Birch Nonfiction Award this year for her book What’s the BIG Idea?

Becker visited Bayside Public School in the morning and Foxboro Public School in the afternoon. The visits were subsidized by a grant from the Writers’ Union of Canada Writers-in-the-Schools Program.

From its origins as a one-room schoolhouse in 1831, Bayside Public School has grown to a complex of three buildings, located halfway between Belleville and Trenton. Bayside PS serves over 500 students from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 8 and offers French Immersion programming from Grades 4 to 8. School programs focus on character education, literacy and numeracy. All students benefit from a huge playground and track, an instrumental music program and an automated library that includes bilingual materials. Programs are linked to the neighbouring Bayside Secondary School. Celebrations of learning include: Challenge Programs, participation in Queen’s University SEEDS Program, Science Fair, educational trips, school drama productions and music festival vocal and instrumental participation.

Foxboro Public School, located in the village of Foxboro, serves 310 students from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 8. Foxboro PS is equipped with a computer lab, a large playground, track, library and a music room. The school has a Centre for Learning Disabilities, an Art-After-School program and instrumental music. Weekly celebration assemblies highlight academics, athletics and character education. The school provides a safe and healthy learning environment based on mutual respect and inclusionary practices.